The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-04
POLITICS In THE PULPIT.
DIR. BACON'S FOURTH OF JULY SER
MON CAUSES A STIR.


Not Favorably Received by His Con
Rregation-His Reference to the Civil
war-What an Old Church Member
Says About DR.. Bacon's Position.
Dr. Bacon, of the Independent Preshyte
rian church, preached a sermon yesterday
morning which did not meet with the ap-
proval of his congregation. 1t excited con-
siderable comment, and by some it was crit
cised quite severely. 1t was a Fourth of
July sermon, but it did not deal wholly with
matters connected with Independ-
snce day. The sermon in the main was a
review of the history of the Jews as pre-
sented in the Bible, and was in no respect
Objectionable to any one but the doctor
drew parallels between Jewish history and
the history of the United States which were
not received with favor
Dr. Bacon's text was from Judges H.,
14-16:
And the anger Of the Lord was hot against
Israel and he delivered them into the hands of
spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them
into the hands of their enemies round about, so
that they could not any longer stand before
their enemies Whithersoever they went ont
the hand OF the Lord was against them for evil
rs the Lord had said and as the Lord had
sworn unto them; and they were greatly dis
n
judges which delivered them out of the hands
Of those that spoiled them.
HISTORY IN DETAIL.
He took up the question that has been
often asked, why in book intended to be
mans guide to the knowledge of God and
his salvation should there be such an in
ordinate amount of the detail of Hebrew
civil and military history He spoke for
awhile on the disposition made of the ques-
lion by different persons of different faiths
and of no faith, and went on to argue that
this elaborate history of the career of the
Jews was not given because it is unique,
but because it is typical, and if it
Is read in the true light of Gods
spirit it teaches how to read all other his
tory. 1--WE read it, he said, land we are
reading all the rest in the light of it, and
when the secrets of this Hebrew history are
laid bare by the pens of the divinely guided
larrators, and we discover that God was in
she conditions and antecedents of it; that
BOD raised up, one by one, the great men of
Il; that God controlled the great events of
1t; that God brought out the high results of
1t, and wrought it i'll with the great pur-
pose toward which he was leading all the
world, then we have found the key of
knowledge that unlocks the secrets of all
history.
GOVERNOR OF THE NATIONS.
In the writings of those who impute the
of the will of certain great men, or race
characteristics or climatic conditions, or
habitual food of the people certain amount
Of truth may be found, but the Comprehen-
i've truth that includes all these is that 1.-THE
Earth is the Lords and he is Governor
among the nations and the unity of the
nations is to he found, somehow, in Christ
Then proceeding to the part that proved
10 be the source of such abundant comment,
he said; 1T is a common and easy trick of
literary art for small wits to amuse them
selves and their friends by writing a chap
ter Of very modern history in the antique
btyle of our old version of the Bible The
effect is humorous, when it is well DONE
quite out of proportion to the amount of
brain-force expended on it. 1t is
likely always to be a favorite device
With persons who feel that they
must be funny, and do not find any other
course so easy. But it would be something
more than a cheap joke, it would be vivid
Illustration OF eternal truth If some one
would seriously write the history of the
United States after the method of the old
Testament do not mean in the imitation
Pf its archaic phraseoogy, but according to
It's true method and genius 1t would be the
Huest history of the United States that was
Ner written.
THE GIDEON OF MODERN HISTORY.
at would tell how the word of the Lord
throps, and to James Ogethorpe, in the
ands beyond the food saying: Get We up
hom your kindred and your fathers house,
md go forth.to a land which | will show
Fou,' and how they answered: Lord, here
pm l. how God led his people forth by pill
lars of battle smoke and lurid flames through
teas of trihulatiOn to freedom and indie
Pendence; how, as great needs and perils.
iroSe, from time 20 time, God raised up
the exactly right man to meet the
emerging necessity. | do not understand
how any man who believes that God
raised up Gideon calling him by outward
hgns of duty and bv the STRINGS of in
ward impulse to the work Of hberating his
country from foreign oppression, and then
70 the heroic act of unselfishneSs by which
nc put aside the kingly crown, content to
teign for the remainder of his days-only
y love, as first in the hearts of his conn
Tymen'-can help believing, also, in Just
Is true sense that God raised up George
Washington, the Gideon of modern history
so, later, when the pillars of public
sredit lay PROSTATE, and the whole land
was gasping and ready to faint in
The exhaustion that followed the war of
Independence, God raised up Alexander
Hamilton, ard endowed him with rare and
Necoclous powers of craftsmanship that be
night stretch forth his pen, as if it had been
prophets rod, and srnite the sterile rock
Until 1t gushed with righteousness
at might not be wise for me to venture
INTO the pages of more recent history i'm
earch of examples of men whom God
raised up as his own gift and blessing to
he whole land.
ON GETTYSBURG's FIELD.
1T is safe and sufficient TO quote the glow
hg words of the representative orator of
HE Southern army, spoken only Yesterday
" the ears of the whole nation from the
held of Gettysburg: oh, my country,
What a calamity was il for the South when
he aSsassin's bullet struck down Abraham
Lincoln. In the midst of all the bloody
tempest he still had soft place in his
great heart for us, and now that the storm
has passed and passion has subsidized who of
The South does not love and revere his
memory and the memory of the great
captain who was kind and magnauiInous
the hour Of victory at Appomattox
Who said to Lee: Let your men take their
horses home 10 make bread" who, when he
lad triumphed, said Let us have peace. +"
md who, in his dying hour, said that the
Eteatcst happiness he felt was to see good
eelmg springing up between the North and
'he South. There is not a true man South
to-day but who feels as if he would like 10
stand at the tombs of Lincoln and Grant
plant flower there and to water it with
tmanly tear
A sol THERN Tx AMPLE